Looking for broadband at home but at present no phone line!!

johnjo569

Heinz wrote: »

Option 1 no longer exists - BT's bottom package is now the Unlimited Weekend Plan. As the name suggests, that gets you free weekend (not evening) calls (to UK 01/02/03/0845/0870 numbers) and line rental.

Of course, you don't have to use the phone (you could do like a lot of us do and just use it for those free weekend calls).

What do you mean by 'phone contract'?

I mean if BT reconnect me do i have to stay with them for 12 months before i can move to another line rental provider and is there a charge for getting my broadband off somebody else within the 12 month time frame.

johnjo569

Thanks macman for taking the time to answer, thats answered all my queries in a nutshell. Great info & advice, cheers!!

John

Heinz

With a BT landline, you can chose any of the ADSL broadband providers.

If you want to move to another line rental provider whilst you are still in contract to BT, a penalty charge (£70 IIRC) will apply.

johnjo569

macman wrote: »

Is there a BT line and socket physically installed at your property already? If so they only have to reconnect it at the exchange and you won't necessarily get charged the full reconnection fee of around £130 if you take out a new 12m contract. If you do that, then you can get a good landline BB deal with O2, who will give you a basic up to 8MB BB service for about £7.40 (a fiver off) if you are an O2 mobile account holder-can be PAYG or contract. But to do this you have to be on an O2 LLU exchange-check on the O2 or on samknows site to find out if you are.
If you don't want a BT line, your only options are a Virgin Media cable service (if you are in a cabled area), or to use one of the mobile broadband services (a USB dongle) offered by all the big 5 mobile networks. In your case O2 might be the obvious one, but I can't see that at present you can bundle this with your mobile phone service.
Committing to BT for 12m line rental does not commit you to anything else-you can take your BB service and call package from whoever you wish.
Can't offer more detailed advice unless we know what exchange you are on.

Just checked and LLU exchange is available in my area so should be ok.

Thanks again

blue_monkey_2

You will have to stay with BT for 12 months or pay to leave - the amount will be the number of months x the monthly line rental. You cannot have line rental with anyone else, it has to be BT unless you are able to get Cable.

To be able to get Broadband though the phone line you have to sign up with BT and you have to be contracted for 12 months minimum. With this you'll get a phone number, you can choose not to use it if you want but you will have evening and weekend calls for free with your line rental.

You can then have your broadband with someone else. You cannot get your Broadband sorted until you have a telephone line that is working and has a number else it'll not get set up - we had problems with this when we moved. This will also be on a contract - usually 12-18 months depending on who you go with. After the 12 months you can give notice and leave.

However, thre really is no-one else to get Line Rental from, it has to be BT unless you are in a cable area. If you do not use your telephone once the line is in you will not be billed for it. However, if you pay by DD be prepared to pay £20 a month for the first 3 months, they then adjust your DD so you are charged accordinally. Or you can just pay the bill as it comes in but you are charged £1 extra a month for doing that.

blue_monkey_2

Heinz wrote: »

With a BT landline, you can chose any of the ADSL broadband providers.

If you want to move to another line rental provider whilst you are still in contract to BT, a penalty charge (£70 IIRC) will apply.

Is there any other landline providers? We can only have BT. Everyone we checked asked if we had a BT landline installed before we could get broadband and we had to give our telephone number here. Who else can you get your line rental from then?

I know you can broadband from anyone, but line rental?

macman

But is O2 on that LLU exchange? Check it on samknows.com If yes you can get O2 up to 8MB service for £7.34 a month, as long as you have the O2 mobile (if it's PAYG you have to top up at least £10 every quarter).
You also get a free wireless router (Thomson) and free McAfee security with this package.

johnjo569

blue_monkey wrote: »

Is there any other landline providers? We can only have BT. Everyone we checked asked if we had a BT landline installed before we could get broadband and we had to give our telephone number here. Who else can you get your line rental from then?

I know you can broadband from anyone, but line rental?

That's a bit of a monopoly they have if that is the case, but i thought you could get line rental off talk talk as they do a broadband/phone package with cheaper line rental....i think.

johnjo569

Just checked and it is available in my area so good news hopefully.

blue_monkey_2

Ah, possibly, I am not sure now. All I know is that when I moved and wanted BB we had to get the BT line connected first and only BT could do that so maybe you can move after 12 months. I am all confused now.

I Looked: http://www.talktalk.co.uk/products/landline Yes, it seems you can get your landline with BT - but then would you have to get your BB from Talktalk?? I am not sure now OP but you'll still have to be on a contract.